Swimming belt



P 1932- A. A. MARENGO 1,875,630

SWIMMING BELT Filed April 24, 1931 INVENTOR A.A.Mapeno Q .um-

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED. STATES AUGUST A. MARENG-O, or srocxron, 11:03am

Application filed April 24,

This invention relates to an air inflated and collapsible swimming belt, such as is shown in Patent No. 1,556,339, dated October 6, 1925; and represents improvements over the previous structure.

The main objects of my present invention are to simplify the construction of the belt to that it is cheaper to manufacture and so that it may be more compactly folded when not in use.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a fanciful outline of a person wearing my improved belt.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the belt deflated.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged and typical cross section of the belt deflated.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of the inflated belt.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of the belt at one end.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the belt having a modified form of strap. 1

Referring now more particularly to the 30 characters of reference on the drawing, and particularly at present to Figs. 1 to 5, the belt is preferably in the form of a substantially circular horseshoe. It is made of initially flat strips 1 and 2 of soft elastic rubber cut to the desired size and shape, and so that both the inner and outer peripheries of the strips have a circular curvature. The inner periphery is the smaller of the two and is adapted to pass about the waist of the wearer; while the outer periphery is of greater diameter and is eccentric relative to the inner periphery so that the belt is relatively wide centrally between its separated ends, and gradually tapers toward said ends.

The strip 1 is sufliciently larger than the strips 2 so that it may be folded over along the edges of the latter, as at 3. This provides for the firm cementing or vulcanizing of the strips together for their full length, in such a manner that when the belt is inflated, it

1931. snaiiliq 532,459,

forms "a smooth-surfaced member of circular cross section.

a At the same time when the beltis deflated, the strips lie flat against each other, thus permitting easy and compact foldingof'the belt. This particular manner of makingthe. belt has been'developed by me asthe result of considerable experiment, and has proved to be very effective in enabling the belt to be made ifrery cheaply and still have the desired curved orm.

The belt is secured about the waist of the wearer by a non-elastic but flexible strap 4. This strappreferably extends about the inner periphery of the belt adjacent the fold on the strip 1 (which is at the horizontal axis on the belt when inflated and is arranged so that when the belt is de ated, the strap also folds over as shown in Fig. 3. The strap of course projects beyond the separated ends of the belt and is provided with a suitable buckle device 5. The strap is cemented or otherwise firmly secured onto the rubber for the full length of the contacting surface and serves to reinforce the same. This arrangement of the strap also prevents any cinching up of the same from tending to stretch or strain the rubber.

At a convenient point, a flexible mouth nozzle or tube 6 for inflating the belt, is secured on the belt so as to communicate with I the interior of the latter. A small pocket 7 is disposed on the belt adjacent the nozzle,to enable said nozzle when not in use to be folded over and slid into the pocket as indicated in Fig. 5. This not only keeps the nozzle out of the way but also tends to prevent air from leaking out of the same.

In the structure shown 1n Fig. 6, the construction of the belt is the same as above described, but the buckle strap is replaced by an elastic band 8 which is permanently secured to and extends between the ends of the belt at its inner periphery. 9?

From the foregoing description it will be I readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i Y

A swimming belt comprising initially separate flat strips of rubber cut to have the desired horizontal contour of the belt, one strip being of somewhat greater area than the other; said strips being superimposed in symmetrical relation to each other and the 'eX- tending portion of the larger strip being folded over the edges of the smaller strip and being secured thereto and'a non-elastic strip of flexible material secured along the inner periphery of the belt and overlapping and secured tothe larger strip above and below the adjacent line of fold thereof. 1 .In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

AUGUST A. MARENGO. 

